Too Soon, Too Late
by xAll.or.Nothingx
Summary: When Cammie returns from Austria, the last thing on her mind is staying under the same roof as a certain Blackthorne Boy. But things are different now–while Cammie was busy being tortured by Zach's mom, Zach was busy making friendly with Cammie's best friend. And with everyone treating her like a convict, will Cammie remain the unseen Cameleon, or will she finally let it all out
1. Chapter 1

~~  
I'm new at this stuff…gimme a hand here! Don't forget to give me a comment down below; all feedback appreciated.

Disclaimer: Yes hello, this is Ally Carter speaking.

-EDIT- okay, so I was feeling kinda ICKY about the whole Zach/Bex thing. I mean, can you say GROSS? So, I'm taking a new path with this story. The old one will still be up; that way, you guys can comment and tell me which one you like more! Thanks a mill guys, you rock my world!:)

*On the chopper, coming back to Gallagher from Austria*

"Cam," My mother shook my shoulder.

In any other situation, I would have bolted upright. I would have grabbed the arm that held me and twisted it backwards at an impossible angle. I would have jolted awake and gazed out of the window, just in time to see the helicopter sink lower along the inky asphalt of Highway 10.

But given that for the first time in my life, I had no idea what day of the week it was; I just rolled around and snuggled closer into my mother's warm side, letting out a pert yawn. The copter passed the high walls and electrified gates; the only defense that protected my sisterhood from prying eyes.

"Get up, kiddo. We're almost home."

After a number of various other coaxing and bribing methods (and yes, petty threats), I rubbed at my sleepy eyes and peered out the circular window.

There, the beautiful stone building stood against the horizon. Surrounding it, trees were ablaze with bright reds and vivid yellows – colors that had no place in the beginning of summer.

And suddenly I was overcome with a sinking feeling (that had nothing to do with the landing of the chopper.)

My mother must have felt me stiffen next to her, because she turned to look at me with wondering eyes. Her gaze strayed away from my eyes and over the hollows of my cheekbones, and the sinking feeling returned with a vengeance.

Wordlessly, she patted down my newly short, midnight black hair, her blue orbs never leaving mine. Neither of us spoke, but a powerful conversation passed through our eyes.

"I'm sorry mom," I whispered, my voice breaking.

She enveloped me in a hug and pressed her face into my hair, where I felt the wetness of her tears against the nape of my neck. And that's when I saw the greatest spy I'd ever known cry for the second time in my life.

"Mrs. Morgan? We're here." An unfamiliar voice came from the speaker.

My mother pulled away and gave me a watery smile. "Come on, kiddo. It's showtime."

When my mother pulled open the door, my flight or fight response almost made me flee away and cower in a corner. But the spy in me was stronger than that, and that's why I held my ground as the first rays of piercing sunlight slipped through the door.

Most of the freshman class stood halfway between the side doors and the Protection and Enforcement barn. An entire class of girls I'd never seen before stood huddled around Madame Dabney, who, I could have sworn, wiped a tear from an eye when I stepped onto the lawn.

It felt like my entire sisterhood was watching, and, when you're known as the chameleon, it isn't ever a good feeling.

But then, before I could run away towards the forest on the other side, three girls stumbled out of the crowd.

For a second, we stood our ground, looking at each other from afar. Then Liz broke the silence.

"Oh my gosh!" she screamed, filling in the rest of the space between me and the others. Liz seemed even smaller and blonder, and as she flung her arms around me in an embrace her feet left the ground.

Blinded by Liz's blond locks, I couldn't see Macey McHenry approach me until her hand touched my stiff hair. "That dye job is going to give you split ends, you know." I didn't know. And I didn't care. But no sooner had I reached for Macey, she pushed me away and held me at arm's length.

I felt squeamish and insecure as her blue eyes carefully inspected my appearance. "What did you do to yourself? You look like death."

Which was exactly how I felt, but now didn't seem like the right time nor place to say so. Everyone was listening, watching, waiting…for something.

"It's good to see you again, guys." I said meekly, shielding myself from the penetrating eyes of the freshmen from behind Macey's shoulders, which had gotten broader. "Though, it seems like I saw you not too long ago…"

I heard soft meows coming from my side, which turned out to be Liz crying with a wide smile plastered on her face.

"Bex!" I cried, turning to my third best friend who was standing a little farther away. She wasn't crying (like Liz) or cringing at my new look (like Macey). Instead, Rebecca Baxter just stood looking at me like she didn't know how to feel about seeing me in my current condition. Or, as I realized with a pang, seeing me at all.

After giving me a quick once-over, she turned her attention to my side. "Welcome back, headmistress." She gave my mom a small nod.

My arms, which had previously been positioned to hug the girl in front of me, lamely dropped to my sides.

Cautiously pushing my short locks behind one ear, I took the time to cautiously survey the crowd.

And my eyes locked with someone who wasn't here before.

At first glance, she was gorgeous. Tall, green eyes and long blond hair. Her uniform fit her perfectly, and she radiated a smooth glow.

But a double-take told more to the story. Confidence oozed from her pores. Her hands were on her hips and a daring expression held her face. I knew she was strong.

And something about her made me shuffle a few steps backwards.

"Em?" another voice came out through the crowd. A voice so deep it sent shivers down my back.

Moments later, Zachary Goode was seen coming out from the group of girls.

I can honestly say that for a second, my heart stopped beating.

He had changed. The boy who had dipped me in the hall was nowhere to be seen. His hair was longer and more ragged, yet perfectly disheveled. His emerald green eyes were sharp and sparkling. Most importantly, he'd gotten noticeably more muscled. His arms bulged from the white polo he was wearing, and it didn't take a genius to see his abs prominent through the material.

We'd been through a lot together; from the explosions of the tombs to every last kiss we'd shared. This was the boy who had asked to run away with me, for crying out loud, so it was needless to say I was shocked when he put his hand on mystery girl's shoulder.

And I was shocked when, instead of flipping him over, she melted into his embrace.

That's when my disoriented mind slowly realized things were never going to be the same.

"Ahem," my mother cleared her throat. It was as if someone had said the magic word, and everybody snapped out of a trance. The previously silent girls started buzzing with comments while Madame Dabney was escorting them back into the building.

Eventually, it was just the six of us remaining out on the field, shuffling slowly behind the rest of the crowd.

For sixteen seconds, a thick silence rang in the air. I tried meeting Zach's eyes – but without luck; he was already turning and leaving.

"Zach!" My voice called out subconsciously. Then, it was as if my feet acted on their own; one moment I was standing beside Liz and my mother, and the next moment I was making my way through the grass, towards him.

"Hi," I breathed. He turned to look at me with dead eyes.

I hadn't noticed how much taller he'd gotten until I was right next to him. His face was blank, but his eyes stared deep into mine, as if he was searching for answers.

Answers that I didn't have, and that I probably never would.


	2. Chapter 2

~~  
RECAP:  
"Zach!" My voice called out subconsciously. Then, it was as if my feet acted on their own; one moment I was standing beside Liz and my mother, and the next moment I was making my way through the grass, towards him.

"Hi," I breathed. He turned to look at me with dead eyes.

I hadn't noticed how much taller he'd gotten until I was right next to him. His face was blank, but his eyes stared deep into mine, as if he was searching for answers.

Answers that I didn't have, and that I probably never would.  
~~

"Well, Cameron. You're quite lucky, considering…" Buckingham trailed off, catching herself.

I was on a hospital bed in the infirmary, dressed in nothing but a sheer blue gown. My bony arms and legs were painfully visible to Madame Dabney, my mother and headmistress, and Professor Buckingham.

After eight shots, four rounds of reflex testing, pupil dilating, two showers, one full-on bath in antiseptic, and three layers of adhesive bandaging, they allowed me to sit up. A glass of water and a bagel later, I was able to push off the wheeled gurney and change back into my old Gallagher uniform.

Subtly, I tried to disguise the sudden bagginess of the uniform that used to fit me fine before – but this was a spy school. Nothing went by unnoticed, only politely ignored.

"We'll get you properly sized for that later." Professor Buckingham said – she was never the one to sugar the truth.

They walked me out of the corridor that led to the infirmary, never letting me out of their sight.

Anger boiled up inside of me. "It's not like I'm planning on running away again, you know." I snapped. The words rolled out a little harsher than they should have, but it did the job. When I turned around, they were gone.

It dawned on me then – I was alone. From the nuns at the convent, to my mother's landing in Austria; there was always someone by my side. For the first time, I was truly alone.

Except, not alone. Because as I turned a corner, I came into view with a boy standing in the center of the hall.

His previously disheveled hair was neatly combed; his pressed shirt and kakis radiated freshness and for a split second, I wanted nothing more but to fling my arms around him. At first glance, he looked just like an ordinary private-school boy. But 1) there _are no boys _at my school. And 2) Zachary Goode has never been ordinary for one day of his life.

I stood motionless. Waiting. Trying to reconcile the fact that Zach was here – he was real, and not a figment of my imagination like so many times before.

But then, I stopped for another reason. Because the only boy in an all-girls school was looking at _me _like maybe I was the one that didn't belong.

After twenty three seconds of blank stares, I finally found the courage to make my feet move the remaining twelve feet of distance between us.

We stood eye to eye – or well, eye to chin.

"You're here."

"That's funny, I was about to say the same thing." He smirked, finally disguising the void of expression on his face for a less grim one.

"What are you doing here?" I searched his eyes intently.

One of his eyebrow slowly raised, "I go here now." His voice was smooth and cryptic, as if nothing had changed.

Maybe it was because of all of the things that had happened so fast in the past two days, but all I did was nod at the information while never leaving his gaze.

And all of a sudden, something inside of me snapped.

"Stop looking at me like that."

For a boy that had the training of both an assassin and a spy, he made no attempt to suppress the shock that flashed his face.

And I knew why. The Chameleon always blended in without voicing her opinions or standing out. But I was tired of being talked about like a radioactive bomb. I had questions too, and they were going to be answered.

"Stop looking at me like you know more than I do. What's the big secret this time?" My voice was suddenly strong and concrete; all caution was still standing twelve feet behind us.

The coyness left his expression, though the smirk remained. But the previously playful smirk turned to one of warning. Zach practically oozed a "Don't-Mess-With-Me" vibe, so it was truly a wonder that I stood my ground and had the gall to jut out my chin.

Just to reiterate, I was alone. With Zach. In my school. And even though he had a good 12 inches on me, for the first time it was as if I was taller than he was.

Crazy was taking on a whole new meaning.

"Things are different now." He finally said, suddenly unable to look into my eyes.

My body acted on my behalf – I raised my arm and let my hand cup his cheek.

I don't know what I would have done if we weren't interrupted, and I probably never would. But the one thing I did know was that that sentence was probably the most honest one he had ever said to me.

"I know, I'm late. Shun me later." A third voice echoed down the high, marbled ceilings, the _click clack _of heels getting louder with every ticking second.

And just like that, it was as if the moment was over.

I froze. Since Bex was the only international Gallagher girl in the history of Gallagher girls, there was no reason for a permanently fixtured Australian accent to be within these walls.

And since there was only one girl who was acquainted with Zach but not me in this school, I had no doubt of whom it was.

And suddenly, I couldn't meet Zach's eyes either.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all so much for the reviews! 3 it really does mean a lot to me, you have no idea.

-EDIT- If you have read this story before, then you know that I made a couple of changes. Go back to chapters 1 and 2 to read it too…I got sick of Zex (Uh…Bach?) after two chapters.

Recap:

"I know, I'm late. Shun me later." A third voice echoed down the high, marbled ceilings, the _click clack _of heels getting louder with every ticking second.

And just like that, it was as if the moment was over.

I froze. Since Bex was the only international Gallagher girl in the history of Gallagher girls, there was no reason for a permanently fixtured Australian accent to be within these walls.

And since there was only one girl who was acquainted with Zach but not me in this school, I had no doubt of whom it was.

And suddenly, I couldn't meet Zach's eyes either.

"Cameron? What are you – " The new girl stopped short, raising her eyebrow at us.

Then, I realized why. Because strangely, somewhere in our trance Zach and I had managed to get intimately closer, and my right hand was still cupping his cheek.

And I couldn't find the willpower to move away, which was possibly the strangest thing of all.

But apparently Zach could, and after profusely clearing his throat, he carefully peeled my hand from his face and took two steps back.

My cheeks burned at the two pairs of green eyes trained on me. It seemed the Chameleon was back, and with a vengeance.

"Em," Zach finally filled the eight seconds of eternal silence, "We were supposed to meet here eight minutes ago. What happened?"

Em let out an exasperated sigh. "I think you have a pretty good idea of what went on back there."

I shuffled my weight a little, which was just enough to catch the attention of the two spies in front of me.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Em hissed, her voice taking a lower octave, "did you tell her…?"

"_Cammie_," Zach said in a '_she_-has-a-name' tone, "was just going upstairs. Weren't you, Cam."

There was no escaping his pointed look, so I just nodded.

"Hi. I'm Megan." The beautiful stranger smiled tightly at me. She outstretched her arm, and I hesitantly met her manicured hand and shook it.

Megan seemed to be enjoying my flustered state a little bit too much, so instead of sticking around to amuse her further, I spun on my heel and left the grand hall.

Well, if left means 'turning the corner and then pressing myself to the wall in attempts to catch wisps of the conversation between the new girl at my elusive top-secret school and the one guy who had managed to spin his way into my life' – then yes, I left.

"Did she say anything?" Megan's voice was muffled.

I was able to make out what sounded like a sigh. "No, but she seemed…off." Zach's voice, even from afar, was still able to affect my ability to stand upright.

They must have walked further away, because no amount of straining could make out their words. And when I poked out my head from around the corner, they had just disappeared.

But where?

-Time Warp-

Two hours later, I was still pacing the floor of our suite.

"What were they even doing together?" I repeated to myself for the twelfth time.

Liz and Macey had come back from class, and were now sitting on Liz's bed, watching me move back and forth with an expression of vast concern.

I finally acknowledged their presence. "_Who is she_?"

Liz scooted a little closer to the edge of the bed, leaning forward to touch my arm with her fingertips. "Well, when you didn't come back after summer, we – tried looking everywhere for you. But you're the Chameleon, so while the CIA was – "

"It's the girl they brought in to replace you with." Macey put in curtly.

"She can't just _show up_ senior year!"

"Actually, Cammie, she can. And she did. And now, she's the best one of us here." Macey didn't sound too happy about that.

I stopped short, processing the information.

"How did they find her." My voice was nothing above a whisper.

"It was the Baxters. She was in on some MI6 mission, and when Bex and Zach went there this summer they…" Liz's voice faltered. It was one of the first times I'd seen Liz unclear about something.

"It's classified? Top-secret information?" My voice was hard. "Bex and Zach went to Europe this summer?"

"Two left, and three returned."

"Are they…you know…" Liz looked at me expectantly; waiting for me to elaborate, but Macey shook her head and laughed a little as if she did know.

"No, Cam. Megan and Zach are not going out." She reassured.

"But if by going out, you mean skipping class and sneaking out of the campus, then yeah. They're going out." Liz pointed out, but shrunk down to my and Macey's synchronized glares.

"How do you even skip class around here?" My voice had an edge when it resurfaced.

"The teachers and those two…it's as if they're in some kind of loop. They just look the other way when Megan and Zach aren't in for class." Liz's voice had an edge too, like she wasn't too fond of being out of the teacher's loop.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Macey tried, without success, to ease my mind.

I nodded absentmindedly, and was about to keep pacing when something else dawned on me. "Wait. Where's Bex?"

Liz looked uncomfortable. "Um, she's with them."

"Bex is sneaking out with Megan and Zach?"

Macey nodded.

Mixed emotions raged through me.

**Pros and Cons List of Having your Best Friend Sneak Out of Campus with your Boyfriend and a Gorgeous MI6 Spy  
A list by Cameron Morgan**

**Pros**

-They can't _do_ anything with Bex there  
-Trust Bex to make sure everything (and everyone) stays in line

**Cons**

-Was Bex still even my best friend?

Macey got out of her previously Indian-style position on Liz's bed.

"Okay, you know what, this is driving me crazy. Liz, Dr. Fibs has some hydrogen peroxide in the lab, right?"

Liz looked offended. "Of course he does."

"Get it. If we work fast, we'll still be able to finish before dinner."

Right before I could open my mouth to ask exactly what we'd be finishing, Macey had me by the arm and was dragging me across the suite and into the bathroom.

It wasn't as if I still couldn't flip her over and have her face-down on the plush carpet in a millisecond. But since when was Macey McHenry this strong? I realized, with a pang, that when you've been gone for six months, you're friends become stronger and more agile without you.

In five minutes, I was leaned over the sink, letting Liz wash my hair for the first time in probably months. After that, Macey stepped in with the bleach, and in a solid half an hour I was back to being blond. Macey also took the extra step in snipping away the dead ends, shaping my hair into what she promised was all the rage this fall.

_Fall_. Where had the months gone?

Finally, I was allowed to look in the mirror. My old, post-kidnapping hair had been dead black, cut in harsh layers around my neck. An hour later, I was a light honey blonde, with a bob that framed my jawline and got shorter in the back. My hair shined with a sleekness that wasn't there – even before the horrible dye-job, and I radiated the tropical scent of Macey's high end shampoo.

I touched my hair. "Wow guys...thank you."

Liz and Macey looked at each other and smiled. "Now, you better get in the shower with this," Macey handed me a bottle, "this, this, this, this," my arms started overfilling with all the products she stacked, "and this. Hurry up, only twenty-five minutes until dinner!"

_Twenty three and a half_, I wanted to add, but refrained from doing so.

After a shower using a body wash with four ingredients which are illegal in this country, I stepped out and wrapped a towel around my body, letting my damp hair sit around my chin.

"Hey Mace, I left all of your things in the – " I stopped when I realized I was alone in the suite. Since my internal clock had reset itself somewhere over the Atlantic, I was absolutely sure that there was still fifteen minutes until dinner. They never left that early.

Maybe six months ago, I could have waved it off and pretended, against my better instinct, that everything was fine. But if there was something all of this had taught me, it was to _always _trust your instinct when in doubt.

Which is why I stepped a little lighter and listened a little harder as I made my way down to the Grand Hall.

And if it weren't for me being on alert, I probably wouldn't have heard the voices.

"I can't go to the room. _She'll_ be there."

It was Bex, but it was how I'd never heard her before. I hated it, but I hated even more the fact that I knew that the _she _was me.

I felt myself edging closer to the cracked door, peering into the nearly abandoned classroom, listening as Zach said "You're going to have to talk to her eventually."

"I can't do it." Bex complained in a completely un-Bex-ish way.

In return, Zach laughed in a completely un-Zach-ish way. "I find that hard to believe. I was the one that was with you all summer, remember? I saw you in Budapest. I was the one with you in Greece. So don't try telling me you can't do it – because I know what you're capable of."

"Budapest was an exception." Bex said, but then laughed, too.

"Come on, Bex. She needs you." Liz piped up from the corner of the room.

I edged a little closer to the crack, and saw Liz and Macey also in the room.

I leaned away, digesting this new piece of information. _They were in on it too. _Was nothing sacred?

"Bex, you have to talk to her. You know what Dr. Steve said. We have to act like nothing's wrong. Like nothing changed since summer." Macey said.

Her words hit me in a way I couldn't understand. Never before was I so confused and kept in the dark. I knew so much…yet so little.

"But it HAS changed!" Bex's voice was furious and loud.

"Bex." A fifth voice played its way into the mix. A voice that made my blood boil.

"You have to do this. You know that, right?" Her Australian accent was light, and every word sounded like she was singing it.

"Don't tell me what I have to do." Bex mumbled, and left my sight of vision.

I moved a little, until I could properly see where Megan was.

Zach was standing while Megan was sitting on a desk, and the two were directly eye to eye. One of his arms was around her neck, and her bare knee was pressing against his jeaned leg.

This wasn't a misunderstanding. They weren't long-lost siblings or anything.

This was really happening.

My breathing was so heavy, I thought it would give me away.

Behind them, Liz and Macey shuffled uncomfortably. But Zach and Megan were engaged in their own little bubble; probably sharing thoughts of that summer they spent together.

And in that moment, I didn't want to know. I didn't care if I was kept in the dark. Sometimes, secrets are secret because it's dangerous to let them out.

~~~THANK YOU LOVLIES! Next chapter will be up by this weekend at the latest. Don't forget to put in a comment down below3

P.S: I know this chapter was really OOC and off from the story. I know. Shun me. But I was going through a little bit of a block, since I had to introduce SO MUCH in 2,000 words. Ally Carter can do better. :) Don't you worry your pretty little mind! Happy Wednesday everybody!

P.P.S: Be a sweetie and I'll throw in a Zach POV next chapter!

P.P.S.S: P.P.S or P.S.S?


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